Love is Not What It Seems
by corvusdraconis
Summary: QLFC Seeker Position Round 8, Prompt: Rose Weasley, Rose spends a quiet sunrise with her mother, pondering how things worked out the way they did.


QLFC: Round 8

Prompt: Rose Weasley (Next Gen)

Position: Seeker (Written by Beater 1)

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Round 8: Love is Not Always What It Seems**

The mist was crawling over Black Lake like the fingers of some eldritch entity, sending tendrils of wispy white and silver across the dark water of the early morning, creating a very unnerving atmosphere. A chill was in the air and it seemed to sap the very warmth out of all that was exposed. The sun, great ball of heat and light, had yet to peak over the horizon to kiss the ground with its blessed warmth.

Dark clouds were gathering in the distance. Their ominous colour seemed like a veiled threat of rain, announcing future storms. Arcs of lightning danced within them, but the rumble of thunder was far behind. Rain could come or pass them by, but those that knew Scotland knew very well that the weather was as fickle as the seas.

The wind kicked up off the shore with violence, shrieking angrily as it sent leaves and debris skittering across the surface. Silent, dark silhouettes swam across the early morning water, gradually forming into the familiar shapes of ducks. Soft quacking noises broke the silence that had reigned during the night, a silence that even the other early morning birds did not wish to break quite yet.

Two figures sat in the dimness of the early morning. One was dressed in the dark, black robes commonly used by teachers and the other was in student robes, which were a bit different. Both were silent, not saying anything or making the slightest noise.

Suddenly, the younger of the pair let out a huge sigh, scratched her bushy red curls, and broke the calm morning with a string of noises that sounded like a bear that had been let loose in the potions lab. They didn't sound melodious in the slightest.

"Are you trying to turn yourself into a rampaging yeti?" the dark-clad professor next to her asked. "Perhaps, a rabid animal?"

"Mum, that's horrible," Rose bemoaned. Still, she smiled, knowing she was only being teased.

"Hnn," was the only reply. Not very eloquent, but it still gave the intended message.

"Is this why you gave up your job at the Ministry, mother?" Rose asked with a yawn. She was still quite tired. She stared at the sky.

The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon and spread across the lake. The fog, which had been everywhere until then, seemed to shrink away from the sun's rays like a vampire fleeing from the light, unwilling to be burned.

"Are you going to answer me, mum? Sometime today, perhaps?" Rose asked, nudging the silent professor beside her.

"Oh, I suppose I can indulge you," Hermione answered with a roll of her eyes, nudged out of her reverie.

"This is one of many reasons the call of teaching lured me from the Ministry, Rosie," she confessed. "There is something about this place that just… tugs at my heart. I can't quite explain it."

"You mean, other than my second dad?" Rose asked, flipping her feet in the shore's sand.

"Hnn," Hermione said, grunting. "Perhaps."

"You sound more like dad anymore, anyway," Rose deducted.

"You do realise that you calling two men your father is very confusing to the rest of us, yes?" Hermione admonished her daughter.

"Well you told me that ever since you and dad… I mean, you and first dad… aw, you know what I mean!" Rose said with a shake of her head, exasperated. "You said that since the two of you ended up separating that he would always be my father, but Sev is like my father too. He's always there making sure I don't blow anything up."

"He's been doing that for years, daughter," Hermione chuckled.

Rose giggled. "He said that no child of his was going to grow up to be Neville Longbottom in potions."

Hermione snorted. "No danger there, Rosie. You are very smart and far too clever to be a potion dunderhead."

Rosie beamed, running her arm around her mother's with happiness. She did love a good compliment.

"He must love you, Rosie," Hermione said with amusement. "He allows you to call him 'Sev'."

"Why don't you call him that, mum?" Rosie asked.

"It's not his name," Hermione said with a shrug.

"But…" Rosie said, scrunching her face up, "dad calls you 'Mione!"

"One of many reasons we separated, my dear daughter." Hermione laughed. "Though, to be fair, Rose, Ronald and I did not part as enemies or because we hate each other. It's nothing that horrid. We simply weren't meant for each other. True love is difficult to obtain, and our love just wasn't enough. Do you understand?" She looked at her daughter, a small crease between her eyes.

Rose stared at her feet, wiggling her toes. "I think so. It's like me and Scorpius. Sometimes I just have to punch him in the face."

Hermione sputtered, a bit red in the face. "Erm, not quite the same, my darling." She coughed quite a few times after that.

Rose gave a gallant shrug that seemed like she had taken it directly out of Harry Potter's handbook of nonchalance.

The sun was still making its way upwards, warming the surrounding land.

"Dad says that he really enjoys being on missions in other countries with the International Auror Exchange," Rose said. "He owls me every week with details he can share. Sometimes he's really vague though."

"Ron was never a great one for words, Rose," Hermione said, smiling sadly. "He was more for sputtering as he let his actions prove his worth in the end. He could be very brave, you know. That was part of what drew us together."

Rose frowned. "But, you drifted apart?"

Hermione nodded. "It happens sometimes, my dear. It is life."

A black-clad shape was walking down the path to the lake, and Rose squealed in delight. "Father!" she giggled, kicking up sand and ploughing into him like a red-haired bullet.

"Oof!" Severus grunted, patting her on the head. "Good morning."

Rose beamed. "Can we all go to breakfast together?"

Hermione and Severus exchanged glances. "Indeed," they said together.

"Sweet! I want cinnamon rolls!" Rose squealed, knotting their hands together and dragging them both up the path back to Hogwarts.

The fog across Black Lake dissipated, but it wasn't the warmth of the sun that made it so.


End file.
